Washington (CNN) – Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is taking steps to run for another two-year term and outlined his plan in a conference call last week to a handful of state GOP officials, three Republicans familiar with call tell CNN.

Steele, who wraps up a 48 state bus tour this week, already has picked two current RNC staffers to help run his re-election campaign and the chairman told people on the call that the reception he has received during the bus tour is tremendous, according to one of the Republicans. The Republicans spoke about the call only on the condition of anonymity.
Steele, who was elected chairman in January 2009, has had a rocky tenure as head of the national party. Republicans scored some major wins over the past 22 months such as taking back control of governorships in New Jersey and Virginia and winning the special election to fill the late Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy's seat. And the GOP is expected to score some big wins on Nov. 2.

But Steele, a former Maryland lieutenant governor, has also been accused by his critics of mismanagement, failing in fundraising and making comments that have been considered a distraction to the party.

One of the Republicans familiar with the call said Steele mentioned that Neil Alpert, who works in the RNC's finance department, and Christopher Carroll, deputy director of state and local government affairs for the committee, will take roles in the re-election campaign.

Steele would need to secure the support of 85 RNC members to win another term – half of the 168 people who make up the committee.

"Members on the call were shocked that he had already made his decision to run without consulting them and of course they thought the timing was a mistake," said one of the Republicans.

An RNC spokesperson said the committee is focusing all of its efforts on next week's midterm elections.

"The efforts of the Republican National Committee continue to be focused on a victory November 2nd," said the RNC spokesperson. When pressed about the conference call, the spokesperson referred back to the earlier statement.

soundoff(20 Responses)

Dominican mama 4 Obama

There's no bigger fool than one who fools himself. Mike, you were only the RethugliKKKLan's token Negro. You're NOT consulted on anything of importance. They got you toting along BEHIND Palin, no less. And when you make a move on your own you gotta backpedal it back to the garage.

Come on man. Have some freaking self-respect. If Obama hadn't won you wouldn't be around; and quite frankly, they're not even using you to take potshots at the President anymore, they're doing that themselves. They have no further use for you.
Now whatchagonnado?

October 27, 2010 03:03 pm at 3:03 pm |

Dutch/Bad Newz, VA

Michael Steele is part of the Mo-Tea-Sir tribe. He does whatever his masters say. If they say don't run, he won't! Grand Wizard Limbaugh will have a fit if Steele is RNC chair for a second term.

October 27, 2010 03:15 pm at 3:15 pm |

8 Years of "Trickle Down" economics has only left a dribbling wet spot on working Americans's shoes!

Steele, you will return to your former day job of standing on a rich, white Southerner's mansion lawn dressed in your red cap and coat and white riding breeches holding the reins to his daughter's pony.

October 27, 2010 03:19 pm at 3:19 pm |

Tired of the nonsense

Steele's one of the reasons the GOP is a laughing stock.

October 27, 2010 03:22 pm at 3:22 pm |

Lynne WA state

I hope someone will teach him what the federal Minimum Wage is...$7.25....because a little while ago on national TV he didn't know!

October 27, 2010 03:33 pm at 3:33 pm |

Voice of Reason

Steele eyes a second term as RNC chair... Because the first term was SOOOOO successful. Rii-iiight.

The GOP is champing at the bit to get rid of this guy – he's been an embarassment to them from the get-go, and they know it.

October 27, 2010 03:41 pm at 3:41 pm |

Pkm

You better ask your daddy russ limbum what he thinks

October 27, 2010 03:42 pm at 3:42 pm |

vic nashville tn

Michael Steele can’t get credit for these victory credit must go to tea party

October 27, 2010 03:42 pm at 3:42 pm |

Sniffit

edit...haha...let's try that again with minimal spelling errors:

Methinks it unlikely. Mushmouth's purpose has been served now that President Darky has been taken down a peg. They will probably go with a hispanic RNC president next to soften the appearance of xenophobia and racism towards hispanics as they attempt to marginalize entire swaths of hispanic voters in border states like AZ and TX while trying to enact legislation that will cost us several trillion dollars to create a police state to search out and deport all the "illegals"..all because they're so afraid that a sane path to citizenship would merely add to the Dems' voter rosters. You know...it's sort of like their willingness to let the entire country's infrastructure go to sh-t simply because they don't want to create construction projects that will employ construction workers who pay union dues.

October 27, 2010 03:48 pm at 3:48 pm |

duke

South parks very own"Token".

October 27, 2010 03:58 pm at 3:58 pm |

John

The REPUBLICAN PARTY should get someone else than Michael Steele to be National chairman,because right now he letting SARAN PALIN walk all over him. IT really funny because we all heard SARAN PALIN saying if the REPUBLICAN PARTY don't join the TEA PARTY the REPUBLICAN PARTY is through. Yet I have not heard MICHAEL STEELE or ANY OTHER REPUBLICAN said anything about want she said. But the REPUBLICAN PARTY did said they wasn't part of the TEA PARTY be for SARAN PALIN said what she said. Who telling the LIE HERE.

October 27, 2010 04:02 pm at 4:02 pm |

GOP Scorched Earth Politics

We all know why Steele was selected, no need to sugarcoat it. Also he is simply a scapegoat for the pathetic GOP agenda or lack thereof. All he does is promote, fundraise and act as a spokesman. It is not his job to set the agenda. Quit making him the scapegoat and make the GOP elected officials accountable for their own actions.

October 27, 2010 04:23 pm at 4:23 pm |

diridi

Nation of good people, do not vote for these GOP thugs., and GOP criminals...go and vote for any Democrat....o.k....

October 27, 2010 04:24 pm at 4:24 pm |

CBR

This is not news. Of course he wants another term. Why else would he travel around the country for the purpose of getting Nancy Pelosi out of the Speaker's chair. The RNC will look for another person to be head of the party after election day. They are very hopeful that they will be victorious and then they will put someone else in the role of RNC head.

Some of the comments made today about Mr. Steele and the President show that there are people in the USA who cannot respect or support people of color. If they can write about the President and Mr. Steele and get away with it then they will move on to other groups of people.

Maybe some of this was an attempt at humor. If so they need to get better comedy writers. First amendment allows people to have freedom of speech and they take full advantage of that.

October 27, 2010 04:25 pm at 4:25 pm |

Vonnie932

Steele led the GOP like the President was allowed by the GOP to led this great country of ours. By any means necessary, the GOP was not going to follow any Black man. GOP pledge to destroy Obama's presidency and they did, through citizen's ignorants, fear, racism, and lies.

October 27, 2010 04:30 pm at 4:30 pm |

Mark L.

Now doesn't the Grand Ol' Plunderers (GOP) have anyone better than Sundanese President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir's twin brother to chair the Rep"ulsive"cans National Committee?

October 27, 2010 04:32 pm at 4:32 pm |

Billy

"Steele eyes second term as RNC chair"

BBBWAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! Not a snowballs chance of Steele getting another shot – his exile to guam should be enough of an indication that he's nothing but a failed token figurehead.

October 27, 2010 04:34 pm at 4:34 pm |

megan

Mike stop making a fool of yourself.You was used big time by the gop KKK. Your master Rush lardass have no need for you anymore. That"s what happen when you take money from the devil Rush .

October 27, 2010 04:34 pm at 4:34 pm |

Marie MD

steele, you better pray that the President runs and is elected for four more years. That is the only way they are going to let you go on with your lesbian bondage club outings and going to Hawaii while telling the rest of us that the economy is tanking.
You want the real rethugs (not limbaugh or girly beck or insanity) to take you seriously tell the half term to get lost.

October 27, 2010 04:45 pm at 4:45 pm |

Dominican mama 4 Obama

Members on the call were shocked that he had already made his decision to run without consulting them and of course they thought the timing was a mistake," said one of the Republicans.
-------------------------------------------------–
I hear the tolling of a bell in the background.....It is crystal clear who it is tolling for.